


Ten Of Swords

by LostyK



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Blood and Violence, Ficlet, Gen, Hurt Deceit | Janus Sanders, Inspired by Fanart, Unsympathetic Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Violence, depending on how you interpret it - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24574237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostyK/pseuds/LostyK
Summary: After the wedding, Janus goes to the Imagination to check on Roman.Too bad Roman isn't happy to see him.
Comments: 16
Kudos: 101





	Ten Of Swords

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Greenninjagal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greenninjagal/gifts).



> Inspired by @greenninjagal-blog‘s [awesome doodles on tumblr!](https://greenninjagal-blog.tumblr.com/post/618959922173968384/listen-i-love-those-fics-where-janus-goes-to-check) Thank you so much for letting me spring off from them!
> 
> I purposefully left things ambiguous with regards to what’s up with Roman, so feel free to interpret it however you like! I'd love to hear what you think in the comments!

The thing that looked like Roman circled Janus, the tip of his final sword trailing along the polished floor. Janus shuddered at the thought of what he would do with it.

He could _feel_ the swords moving inside him with every inhale and exhale – swords, plural, because Princey had always had a flair for the dramatics.

He hadn’t expected the first attack. He’d known, when he had entered the Imagination, that Roman was angry. Known that Roman might want to take revenge, but he’d trusted Roman’s sense of honour and his own ability to talk his way out of trouble.

He hadn’t expected the second one, either, because why would Roman need to attack him when he was already down?

He’d wised up after that.

“You know,” Roman mused, coming to a stop in front of him. “I think I _like_ seeing you on your knees.”

He used the tip of the sword to push the hat off Janus’ head. Janus went still. Roman – or whatever this was – would only need to flick his wrist to blind Janus, or slit his throat.

But Roman moved the sword away and reached out with his other hand instead. He ran his fingers through Janus’ curls, almost as if he was comforting him. A whine escaped from Janus’ throat without his permission, and Roman smiled.

“It’s where you belong.”

Janus coughed up the blood that was blocking his throat, and tried to speak. “This… isn’t you.”

Roman’s smile turned sharp, and his hand tugged at Janus’ hair, making Janus hiss. “Isn’t it? Or is this just a version of me you can’t manipulate?”

Janus shook his head desperately. It _wasn’t_ Roman, it couldn’t be. He _knew_ Roman, had spent days watching him, watching all of the Light Sides, studying how they moved and spoke and acted, searching for their weak spots.

Roman’s movements were languid and relaxed. His smiles were wide and bright, a display for an audience.

Roman wouldn’t hurt another side. Janus _knew_ he wouldn’t, because Virgil had told him so, back when Virgil still spoke to him, and Janus had tasted the truth to the statement.

Now, all Janus could taste was the copper that filled his mouth.

“Or maybe,” Roman said, tugging at his hair again so that Janus lifted his gaze. “I’m what you made me into. What was that you said about me being the evil twin?”

“You wouldn’t do this,” Janus gasped out. His vision was swimming now, Roman blurring into two figures. Roman and not-Roman. How many times could a side break apart until there was nothing left?

Roman released Janus’ hair and stepped back. “You’re half right,” he said. “The me from a few days ago wouldn’t do this. But you made me see that I’ve been failing at my job recently, and a Prince’s job is to protect his kingdom from _villains_.”

Janus flinched at the word. He’d heard it said many other times before, had revelled in it, because at least villains didn’t get forgotten. But Roman said it with such coldness, as if that was all that Janus was.

He said it as if he was talking about an out of control beast that needed to be put down.

_Not Roman_ , he told himself. It couldn’t be Roman, something was wrong, had to be wrong.

“I’m sorry,” Janus tried. He’d already said it once, when he thought he’d found Roman, when he’d though Roman might listen. He’d even meant it, back then. Now, he couldn’t tell if it was the truth or just a lie to save his skin.

Roman blinked at him, and for a moment, Janus thought he might have made progress. But then Roman backhanded him across the face, knocking him to the side. He almost cried as the movement jostled the swords, sending pain screaming up his body. The ground was wet and sticky. Had someone spilt water there earlier?

Oh. It was probably his blood.

Roman crouched down ( _not Roman)_ , and his hand reached out and gripped Janus’s jaw. “I’ve had enough of your lies,” he hissed. He pulled a knife from his belt and ran it along Janus’ lips. Janus kept his mouth tightly shut, breathing rapidly through his nose. “Maybe I should shut you up permanently.”

Janus tried to flinch away, but the hand on his jaw held him in place. _It’s not Roman_ , he told himself, but even if it wasn’t, what did it matter? Without his voice, Janus would be useless, unable to help Thomas, unable to even protect himself.

Roman took the knife away and Janus kept his mouth shut, staring desperately into Roman’s eyes. “That’s better,” he said softly.

Janus watched Roman carefully, but said nothing as Roman stepped away. If he could keep quiet, maybe Roman would leave him alone. He pushed himself back into a kneeling position.

“It’s been wonderful catching up with you,” Roman said. “But I should get back to Thomas. _Someone_ has to undo the mess you’ve made.”

“You can’t,” Janus gasped.

Surely, surely Roman could see that Janus had been doing this for Thomas? He’d been there, surely he’d seen that it was in Thomas’ best interest?

Roman laughed. “Are you going to stop me?” He moved so that he was standing behind Janus now.

Janus tried to turn to look at him, but a piercing pain from his stomach shot through him, so fierce it made his vision white out.

“You know, I was planning to kill you,” Roman mused. “But it doesn’t feel right to slay something so pathetic. I think I’ll just leave you here.”

“The others will find me,” Janus said.

But the imagination was vast. But Janus hadn’t told them where he was going. But Roman could lie to stop them looking there.

“Oh, Deceit,” Roman whispered, leaning close to his ear. “What makes you think they’d care?”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also on tumblr: sparrow-flies-south.tumblr.com

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Two of Cups (The Reversed Remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26539528) by [Odaigahara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Odaigahara/pseuds/Odaigahara)




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